I’m not a writer. So why am I doing a 30 day writing challenge?
“Everyone has a book in them…”
Great. Let’s do this!
“…but in most cases that’s where it should stay.”
Oh.
I’m not even entirely sure that I want to write a book. Definitely not fiction. I use up enough time and energy managing my own life without creating and guiding multiple characters through theirs.
But I read so much and learn so much. I enjoy sharing that with my coaching clients so I’d love to be able to capture and share it further with anyone it might help. Life lessons with meaningful anecdotes from my own life. Maybe that’s it. But not just yet.
In the meantime, I have a course to write, an eBook to finish and a blog that I should be posting on more regularly.
Why do it?
We’ve already established that I’m not a writer and I’m not even sure that I want to be. So why put myself through this?
Find my writing style
I worked in Human Resources for 20 years. Everything I wrote was ‘professional’, often legal, in strategy and report formats to global boards and directors. Dry.
Writing that way is all I know. So when I try to write now, I immediately disappear back up my own corporate backside. I bore myself!
Although I did once rebrand an employee handbook with a new tone of voice by recording content exactly as I would speak. So do I have to ‘be more me’?
The advice on finding your tone of voice is to write like you’re talking to your best friend. I can tell you now, she would NOT enjoy being bombarded with my musings and doubts for 30 days. But maybe I can secretly write to her and never share.
I love reading
Imagine if someone, anyone, might enjoy reading something I’ve written. I know that’s going to take more than a month, but I have to start somewhere. And why not try. Have no regrets.
Learning and improving
Now that I’ve decided to do this, I’ve been reading tips from other writers. I’m enjoying that. I’d like to put tips immediately into practice and that means writing every day.
And on my quest to learn and improve, maybe this will help. But what’s an expository style? Be original. Efficient syntax? Oh heck. Maybe I should study all these tips today and start again tomorrow…. *see procrastination
Earn money
I’ve got to be honest here. My work depends on it. I’m self employed, always on the lookout for new clients and I need to be active and visible online. No matter what platform or format that takes, I’ll need written content.
Why not?
Oh, this part is easy! I have lots of reasons not to write. That’s why I’ve shared so little on my website so far. And why I procrastinate like feck.
Writing should be fun
It’s not.
I am the Queen of Procrastination
I only enjoy writing when I should be doing something else. When I should be writing, I can find about a million other things to do instead.
Write about something you love
Lots of experts recommend that you write about something you love. I worry that if I force myself to write about something I love, I’ll very quickly lose the love.
It’s not starting, it’s finishing
Au contraire. I’m great with a blank page! Give me a blank page and I’ll fill it with ideas and ask for another page. But once I’ve done that brain-dump, I find it almost impossible to put those scattered thoughts into order. In fact, I struggle to go back and look at it again, nevermind start reworking it. So writing takes me FOREVER.
Too many ideas
Can’t think of anything to write about? Not me! I’ve so many ideas I can’t choose. And when I do make a choice, I’ll change my mind halfway through writing then decide to start another topic and finish the first another day. I’ve lost count of how many blog posts I’ve started and abandoned. Maybe the challenge could be to finish 30 of those started-but-abandoned-posts?
Confidence
Of course, what I mean here is lack of confidence. Enough said.
Visibility
This is my biggest challenge. I’m very private. I don’t like social media. I worry what other people will think. And I’m sensitive to criticism. But all of that has held me back for over 3 years now. That’s how long I haven’t actively promoted and shared my business. Time to put on my big girl pants and do it!
How?
Now that I’ve publicly committed to this, how do I make it happen?
Be organised
I’ll have a set time to write each day. First thing in the morning. With a nice coffee. Just don’t want it to ruin a good cup of coffee. And it’s already 11:43am today. Need to get more organised.
Habit is better than discipline
Habit is something you do daily without thinking. You just do it. Or build it into each day until you eventually get to the point where it’s a habit. That’s going to need a whole lot of discipline for me.
Write for yourself
Nope. That one isn’t working for me. I have a laptop full to bursting with half-written posts. I need the commitment and accountability of writing for other people. Even if that’s just the public accountability of committing to do this.
Take baby steps
Hhhmmmm… I’m not sure a 30 day public challenge ticks this box. Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway. That might be a better approach.
Just do it
This is my year of growth. Maybe I will learn to love the page rather than fear it.
I’ll be brave enough to start badly and publicly improve my writing. I can share my learnings. Share my failures. Share how life has knocked me down and I picked myself back up again.
So this is my month of doing something badly. Bravely.
Tune in tomorrow for more. Or maybe the next day…
I won’t share every daily post here but check out my Medium Stories if you’d like to see how I do in the challenge.
In the post I mentioned that I’m creating courses. Check out Burnout to Balance, it’s launching very soon!
*Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on Unsplash
